James

Start date: November 2010
Location: Leicester

“I finished sixth form in June 2010 and through my Dad – who is Engineering Manager at one of the Samworth Brothers sites in Leicester – I got the chance to come to a recruitment day.

This led to me securing a permanent role and, in November 2010, I started in Low Risk as a Production Operative. I felt from day one that I was working in a place that had the right values and where everybody wanted to do well.

Throughout my first year in Low Risk, I jumped at the chance to do whatever I could to learn and progress. For example, the business introduced Health and Safety reps and I was nominated for my department. This meant I was given both responsibility and the freedom to come up with ideas to improve the way we worked.

After six months, I had proven myself in my role and showed enough potential that I was given the opportunity to run the line and be a stand-in Team Leader when cover was needed. In January 2012, I was promoted to full time Team Leader. In that time, I have built a strong team with an exceptional work ethos.

In March 2017 I was promoted to Low Risk Area Manager after a successful trainee period. This provides me with different challenges and targets which we constantly drive to achieve, working as a team to ensure we hit all our goals.

Over the seven years I have been here, I have completed NVQs in various fields, including food safety and team leading. I have also taken a bakery skills course at Leicester College. The latest qualification I have gained by being at Blueberry is an NVQ level 3 food manufacturing excellence.

Samworth Brothers always gives me opportunities and I am always motivated to push myself to be the best. Recently I have been learning about my manager’s role and this has led to me covering the area in his absence.

It is is a great place to work and, if you show you are willing to learn and want to progress, then the company will always do whatever it can to ensure this.”